Dec. 5, 2012

The Underappreciated Games of 2012

All you need is love.

By IGN Staff

No matter how great the vision, no matter how moving the story, no game will ever win the heart of every gamer. It's the sad but accepted truth of all creative mediums. As we're all subject to very different tastes, even the most expertly crafted video games meet blank stares and poor reviews and a general lack of enthusiasm. Such happenings don't necessarily reflect the quality of the game, but rather the circumstances of its launch.

In light of this inescapable truth, we've gathered together a small sample of the underappreciated games of this year so you don't miss out on them forever. Each editor picked a game they felt was underappreciated. In the context of this article, "underappreciated" could mean limited chatter in the IGN office itself, poor review scores, a sparse social presence, or simply a desire to recommend a game that didn't get the love it deserved.

If you had reservations about any of the games that follow, we beg you to reconsider.

Asura's Wrath

Launched: February 21st

IGN Review Score: 7.5

Asura's Wrath is like Suda 51 and Okami had a beautiful, anime lovechild while Naughty Dog watched. The game seamlessly combines massive, over-the-top action and “you have to see this to believe it” set pieces with a beautifully directed art style and story. Although some critics may not have enjoyed the cutscene-heavy experience, Asura’s Wrath is unlike anything you will ever experience in a game.

Beat Sneak Bandit

Launched: February 16th

IGN Review Score: 9.0

Beat Sneak Bandit got great reviews from me (Editor's Choice Award!) and virtually every other outlet, but for some reason it just didn't sell. What was there not to like? It's got rhythm controls set to a funky beat, clever stealth/puzzle gameplay, and a great style. It's criminally overlooked.

Dear Esther

Launched: February 14th

IGN Review Score: 8.0

It won't be mentioned as IGN's Game of the Year for 2012, but this beautiful game was a breath of fresh air amid all the action/adventure titles this year. If your PC can handle it, give this one a shot.

He-Man: The Most Powerful Game in the Universe

Launched: October 25th

IGN Review Score: 6.8

Colin Campbell, Editor, says:

Sure, it's a lame, side-scrolling action game complete with severely-limited character animation and dodgy controls, but I enjoyed the stupid jokes, the retro look and, once again, spending some quality time with Man At Arms.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Launched: February 7th

IGN Review Score: 9.0

The story wasn't anything special, but Reckoning's gameplay was some of the best of 2012 -- so smooth and fun; all I wanted to do was fight stuff.

Miasmata

Launched: November 28th

IGN Review Score: 7.9

One of the most intense survival experiences I've ever had in a video game. And you never, ever fire a gun.

Orcs Must Die 2

Launched: July 30th

IGN Review Score: 9.0

An incredible tower defense hybrid that always gives you something to reach for, be it a new trap or an alluring weapon of war. It emphasizes everything that makes the tower defense formula great, while undertaking its own charming endeavors to ensnare your attention.

Sleeping Dogs

Launched: August 14th

IGN Review Score: 8.5

Even more than its excellent and beautiful open-world, full of exotic cars and kick-ass kung-fu combat, I fell in love with the characters and excellent acting behind Sleeping Dogs’ cool crime drama.

The Splatters

Launched: April 11th

IGN Review Score: 8.0

This cute, colorful physics-based puzzle platformer doesn’t have quite the approachable simplicity or charm of Peggle, but it shares a number of its timeless qualities -- most notably that I couldn’t put the controller down.

ZombiU

Launched: November 18th

IGN Review Score: 6.3

Brian Altano, Executive Editor, says:

Brutal crawls through a zombie-riddled dystopia aren't exactly novel themes for the games industry, but ZombiU tackles the flailing survival horror genre with some of the bleakest moments we've seen this generation. Repetitive? Sure. Unforgiving? Absolutely. But none of that stopped me from enjoying this tense, violent perpetuation of an undead hell.